Nwume swaps the scrum for the ice track

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Posted: Monday 23rd February 2009 | 11:00

HE lifted the Heineken Cup at Twickenham five years ago but now Henry Nwume is embarking on his greatest challenge yet - qualifying in the bobsleigh for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Nwume in action with British No.1 Lee Johnston
COOL RUNNINGS: Henry Nwume in action with Britain's No.1 driver Lee Johnston

Nwume experienced first-hand Lawrence Dallaglio's legendary pre-match team-talk as an unused replacement in 2004 as Rob Howley's last-gasp try handed Wasps a 27-20 Heineken Cup triumph over Toulouse.

But after embarking on a career with the Great Britain bobsleigh team in 2007 - Nwume, who was nicknamed The Doctor or Robo-prop in his playing days, claims to have found a sport with even more testosterone and back-slapping than a Twickenham changing room.

The 32-year-old is currently at the World Championships in Lake Placid, USA and with qualification for the Vancouver Winter Olympics firmly in his sights - Nwume is not planning any last-gasp slip-ups.

"People often ask if the level of aggression between rugby and bobsleigh differs," said Nwume, who in between competition works at St Thomas's Hospital in London.

"People expect that the bobsleigh will be nothing like as aggressive or as physical but if anything it is even more so.

"There are guys everywhere smacking themselves, shouting and getting themselves up for it because it is such an explosive sport.

"So much aggression and energy is focused into that first sprint that people get themselves even more worked up then they did in the rugby changing rooms.

"It is all about making sure you are ready to explode in those first few seconds so it is a pretty highly-charged atmosphere to say the least.

"That really surprised me when I first got into the sport but coming from a rugby background and a Heineken Cup final changing room it wasn't too hard to adjust."

Nwume, who has three Oxford Blues to his name and played for National Three South Henley in 2002 before switching to Wasps, finally called time on his top-flight rugby career in 2005.

But he didn't hang up his boots, he traded them in for a pair of spikes and two years later the 19-stone tight-head prop competed at the World Championships in St Moritz and if all goes well in Lake Placid next week - Nwume will be heading to Vancouver in under a year's time.

And Nwume, who this week saw former team-mate James Haskell head to France for a reported £350,000, insists he's not bitter having missed out on the rugby financial gravy train.

Spending his days careering down icy tracks at 90 miles an hour more than fills the rugby void missing from Nwume's newfound career.

"I still read about rugby all the time in the papers and take a great interest in what is going on," said Nwume, who still returns to Wasps in a medical capacity for Guinness 'A' League games.

"I used to play with Hasks and Danny Cipriani and all those boys and it was a good time - I do wonder what might have been had I carried on.

"But at the time I thought I would need two more years of experience in the front row before I could make my mark and in terms of my career I just didn't have that time.

"I made my decision and I'm now really happy in the bobsleigh - if I can make it to Vancouver it will all be worth it."